Tbilisi City Hall signs €150 mln deal with Chinese consortium to modernise metro fleet

Tbilisi City Hall has signed a contract with GT Group LLC, the winning bidder in a government-backed tender to supply 111 new metro cars to the Georgian capital over the next five years. The deal, worth €150 million (excluding VAT), is supported by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the central government, and the city municipality.

The agreement was formalised at a meeting attended by Vice Mayor Giorgi Tkemaladze, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, Zhou Qian, and executives from both GT Group and Tbilisi Transport Company. The contract was signed by Giorgi Sharkov, Director of Tbilisi Transport Company LLC, and Temur Ustiashvili, General Director of GT Group.

GT Group will carry out the project in cooperation with China's CRRC Corporation.

According to city officials, the acquisition marks a significant step toward upgrading Tbilisi’s ageing metro infrastructure. “The development of public transport is one of the main priorities of our transport policy,” said Tkemaladze. “We are entering a new phase - transitioning to European standard metro cars. Over the next five years, 111 new cars will be delivered, offering citizens safer and more comfortable travel.”

The order includes 25 trains in total: 14 four-car trains and 11 five-car trains. Notably, the Akhmeteli Theatre–Varketili line will be served by longer five-car sets, increasing capacity and improving passenger flow.

The new trains will feature "through-car" designs, allowing passengers to move seamlessly between carriages - a first for Tbilisi's metro, Tbilisi City Call said. 

Currently, the capital operates 48 metro trains comprising 192 cars, many of which have undergone partial rehabilitation. However, city officials say that a full renewal is now essential, as several units are nearing the end of their operational lifespan.